A "Monumental" Sunday

I'm having to skip a few posts because I'm falling behind. Here's the short version of the posts that may never be. Please forgive the weak attempt at the Bridget Jones's Diary style, but I owe Linds at least an attempt.

Friday night: Weight: considerably higher (enchiladas). Alcohol units: 5 (v. good considering length of time at bar). Danced at bar with awesome 80's music. Did a killer version of Michael Jackson's "Beat It" with Ann (must acquire hilarious photo of this from Beth). Stayed out until 3:30 AM. Somehow still didn't beat roommate, T, out. Must rectify.

Saturday: Weight: back to normal (hurrah for dancing!). Hangovers: 0 (hurrah for moderation!). Met J and others on Portobello Road. Resisted the temptations of the market, though must return. Was exhausted so stayed home with good book.

My Sunday was ridiculously full. I woke up to a gorgeous day. It was bright and sunny, and it felt warmer than usual. I decided to take advantage with an extended walk along the Embankment. Not only was the this great exercise, but I also managed to take some good pictures along the way. Here's a rough map of my route:



(It would be helpful to click to enlarge the image. The green triangle in the upper left is where I started. I looped all the way around until I met my original route on Fleet Street.)

I have uploaded a set of pictures to my Flickr account. Start here to view them chronologically. If you want to read my descriptions and/or explanations of the photos, you will need to browse manually by clicking on the small photo on the right under the words "Walkabout (Set)," which will take you to the next photo. Unfortunately, you cannot see the descriptions if you view them as a slide show.

The walk was a marvelous way to spend three hours. Strangely, my favorite part was the climb up the 311 steps of The Monument because as I was doing so, these two British kids (probably aged 5 and 7) kept saying "this is so cool" to their parents. It was adorable.

I felt so energized by my walk that I decided to venture to the Imperial War Museum for the rest of the afternoon. I was so engrossed that I barely made it halfway through the museum in three hours. I particularly enjoyed the special exhibit--Great Escapes--on Allied attempts to escape from POW camps. I was also fascinated by the Secret War exhibit, which features Britain's secret forces, including MI6 (think James Bond). Also a highlight was the video reconstruction of Operation Nimrod, in which elite SAS forces worked to release hostages held in the Iranian Embassy in London in 1980. (Mom, Dad, James, do you guys remember seeing this crisis on TV?)

On Sunday evening, I met up with friends at Planet Hollywood for The Super Bowl. (It started at 11 PM GST.) Quite unsurprisingly, PH was jam-packed with Americans. The game itself was not particularly exciting (especially since we couldn't see the American commercials), but it was fun to hang out, have some drinks, and watch American football. The game was over around 3 AM here; I was a bit tired the next day, but it was worth it. And besides, I stayed out later than T for once!

I'm off on a day trip to Canterbury tomorrow with a friend from school. I hope to blog about it on Sunday, as well as my adventures from yesterday.